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2013 @FordCanada Edge SEL is roomy and fun to drive! {review}

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Thanks to Ford Canada, I had the opportunity to test drive the 2013 Ford Edge SEL AWD for a week, which really allowed me to get to know this hip CUV.The 2013 Edge SEL AWD I tested had a 3.5L V6 engine with automatic transmission, MyFord Touch, Sync voice activated system, reverse sensing system, keyless entry, drivers entry package and power liftgate.  The SEL appearance package includes the 20″ machine aluminum wheels.  (MSRP $43,279 as tested)

 

At First Glance 

With the key still in my pocket, I walked up to the Edge, reached for the handle and it automatically unlocked.  I love not having to juggle keys, trying to find the button to unlock the door.

Once inside, I was impressed with the sleek lines and smooth surfaces.


The seats felt like suede and were very comfortable. Everything was adjustable! The 10-way power driver’s seat went up and down, back and forth and even had an adjustable lumbar support. Being able to see over the steering wheel is important when you’re shorter, like me. I love the feeling of being higher up, as you are able to see so much more.

The controls on the steering wheel and voice commands make changing the settings great! SYNC® with MyFord Touch® allowed me to connect my iPhone, control the temperature, see how much gas I had left, how many kilometres I had left until I needed to fill up, and so much more!

Getting around

I really enjoyed driving it. I’m not very technical when it comes to cars, but I can tell you what I like!

I like the power it has, especially for those times you need quick acceleration, like changing lanes or merging onto the highway. Also, it handles really well around turns, thanks to the independent front and rear suspension.

The back-up camera and sensor are great safety features. You can see what is behind you, and it beeps when things are within a certain range.   In a family-oriented neighbourhood like ours, children at play can be unpredictable.  Even with paying close attention to where they are, they might not be watching you.  Having the vehicle sense when something is behind you reduces potential collisions.

If I was to purchase this vehicle, I’d choose the front wheel drive (FWD) option instead of all-wheel drive (AWD).  With the amount of driving that I do, the FWD would give me better fuel economy.


Let’s check out the back seat!

As a mom of two, the safety and comfort of my kids is very important.  

The back seat is very spacious, and the girls loved the center arm rest with pop-up cup holders.

Child Seat Installation

Installing Lauren’s forward-facing car seat was very easy.

The owner’s manual has great instructions telling you where the car seats can be installed.

I really loved the special instructions about where to put the tether.  It is to run over the seat between the head rest restraint posts before attaching to the tether anchor.

Once I located all of the anchor points, it was time to get installing!

I like to attach the tether first so that I can ensure that it’s tight enough. Once the UAS connectors on the car seat were clipped to the UAS anchors in the car, I knelt in the seat and pulled the UAS belt tight.  When I tried to shake the car seat at the belt path, the whole vehicle moved so I knew it was tight!

Great storage!

Ford has done a great job of utilizing a lot of the space.

In the front console, there is a great storage section where you can connect your devices and tuck them away.  The tray is removable for more storage underneath.

And they even snuck in a small section under the dash behind the console.  It’s perfect for extra napkins, tissue or other small objects that need to be secured and out of the way.

The rear seats fold down to allow for larger loads.

Family approved!

The Edge is a great vehicle for our family of 4 — comfy seating for everyone and room in the back for everything you’d need to bring with you. The Edge has great safety features which will bring peace of mind to parents while transporting their loved ones.

Two big thumbs up from this mom!

@FordCanada’s Transit Vans will carry everything you care about!

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This year at the 40th Canadian International Auto Show (CIAS) in Toronto, Ford Canada revealed their all new 2014 Transit Vans.

So many choices!

The new 2014 Transit Vans and Wagons will be available with various wheelbases and multiple heights. The Wagon can transport 8 to 15 people depending on the wheelbase. Transit Chassis Cab and Transit Cutaways are other options for those needing a more custom solution. Ford Canada’s website has lot of information about the new 2014 Transit Vans.

from Ford.ca

But Ford already makes the E-series vans….

When I sat down and talked with Darren Halabisky, Product Marketing Manager – Truck at Ford of Canada, this was one of the questions that I asked him. He said that the E-Series will eventually be phased out because the Transit Van, while maintaining the cargo capacity, will be much more fuel efficient. One of the 5 engines available will be an EcoBoost® 3.5L V6. The current E-Series vans are V8 engines. Saving on fuel costs will definitely help a company’s bottom line.

Why would a mom be excited about commercial vans? There’s one more!

The Transit Connect Wagon as a family vehicle?

Going into my interview with Darren, I had read about the Transit Connect Wagon, and one article I read compared it to the Dodge Caravan. This really peaked my interest. We’ve owned Caravans and know what they have to offer. With the increase in crossover popularity, I was very interested to learn more about this new entry Ford classes as a “wagon”.

from Flicr.com

n our conversation, Darren said that the various options that the new 2014 Transit Connect has to offer is going to make it very attractive to many companies and families. Yes, both! It will come with or without seats just like the Transit Van, but the Transit Connect is smaller. If you’re in Canada, you’re probably familiar with Canada Post’s local delivery fleet. They are the current model of the Transit Connect.

In the redesigned 2014 Transit Connect, if you add some seats, you have the Transit Connect Wagon. I was intrigued and couldn’t wait until the reveal at the press conference.

While waiting for the reveal I was able to look at all of the trucks!

Ford is known for their trucks. The F150 has been Canada’s best selling pickup for 47 years… that’s a very good track record. At the North American International Autoshow (NAIAS) in Detroit, Ford showcased the Atlas Concept. The features that they have included in this concept are amazing. Darren told me that Ford listens to the ideas from the dealers and focus groups and puts these ideas into their vehicles. (I love when brands listen to their community!) The Atlas has some great features! Darren enjoyed talking about powertrain and other techie stuff, but I liked the “user friendly” ones. They have changed the tailgate step to also be a Cargo Cradle. This helps to carry extra long items across the top of the truck (like extended ladders or long 2x4s). Other neat features include: 360-Degree Point-of-View Camera, Trailer Backup Assist, LED Cargo Box, Side Mirror Lighting and Hidden Cargo Ramp. Please read the blog for more info.

The Big Reveal – 2014 Transit Connect Wagon
At the Ford Canada press conference, they revealed the new 2014 Transit Van and Transit Connect Wagon.
2014 Transit Van
I was amazed at what the Transit Connect Wagon had to offer.
Getting into the Transit Connect Wagon is what sold me. They have thought of so many neat features.
There are 3 rows of seats that will fit 7 people. Or fold down the 3rd row and your have room for 5 people and your luggage or pets. Folding down both rows of seats give you a big space for holding a lot of cargo! Sorry, but your friends will call you when they need someone to help them move. It’s nice to be needed, right?
Even with all of this space, the Transit Connect wagon is fuel efficient. It will be available with a “2.5-litre four-cylinder engine or an optional 1.6-litre EcoBoost. Both options will be paired to a six-speed automatic transmission” (from Ford Blue)
The middle seats are equipped with UAS and tether anchors, ready for a child car seat. As a child restraint technician, seeing that these are easy to find shows me that vehicle manufacturers are keeping their customers’ needs in mind.
Rear passengers can rest their snacks or books on the folding tray.
The glove box is huge!
The over-head storage is currently available in the Transit Connects, but since I haven’t been in one before I was pleasantly surprised.
I really enjoyed getting a first look at the 2014 Transit Connect Wagon.  They’ll be available in Canada towards the end of 2013.

 

As you can see, these vehicles are extremely versatile. The Transit and Transit Connect will adapt well into any company fleet, and the Transit Connect Wagon would be a great addition to any family that requires the space but fuel efficiency is important.
What do you think of Ford Canada’s new Transit and Transit Connect Wagon?

I escaped for the day with @FordCanada #FordEscape

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Yesterday, Craig and I “escaped for the day” with Ford Canada!  It was an amazing day!

We met at Arta in the Distillery District in Toronto. After a light lunch and brief intro to the new 2013 FordEscape and all of it’s amazing features, we hit the road!

11 social media influencers (tweeters, bloggers and the like) were paired up for the day’s activities.  Craig and I got to drive together.

Our first stop was the Drive to Discover event at Square One in Mississauga.  On the way there, Craig asked me what I liked about the Escape so far:

The Drive to Discover event is open to the public and is designed for people to learn more about the 2013 Ford line-up, test drive a few vehicles and try out the Active Park Assist.  There are interactive displays: a cargo challenge where you pack up a Ford Escape “tetris-style” as quickly as possible, an iPad driving trivia game and a movie shoot where you get to star in a Ford Escape commercial, and parallel park with the Active Park Assist.  Oh, don’t let me forget to mention that the cargo challenge starts by you opening the rear gate hands free!!

The Active Park Assist is amazing!  When I first saw it demonstrated at ShesConnected 2011, I found it a bit odd.  I loved the idea of it, but coudn’t ever imaging doing it myself.  Yesterday, I got out of my comfort zone and tried it out. Once the park assist is activated, all of the directions are on the My Ford Touch display.  It tells you when to brake and when to shift between drive and reverse.  I was lost for words when the asked me what I thought of it. Truly amazing!

The next part was my favorite part of the day….the closed test course that was designed by professional drivers!!!   The first 2 times around the track, the professional driver was behind the wheel.  First lap was slow so that he could talk about the driving techniques used for each section…speeds, braking techniques, where to look, where to put your hands, etc.  The 2nd time through it was pedal to the metal.  Though he did say that without helmets or 5-point harnesses he wasn’t going to go as fast as he normally would.  But he sure did go fast!  My shoulder is sore today from holding the “oh sh!t” handle and from getting jerked side to side.  But it was so worth it!  Being in a car with a professional and seeing the car’s full potential is awesome!

When we got our turn to drive the course, Craig went first and he did amazingly well. No pylons knocked down!!

Then it was my turn….

I did get to drive again! The second time I was a bit more aggressive, but it’s hard to do something that is against everything you’re used to doing.

Craig was going to go a second time, but we needed to drive off to our next adventure — rock climbing!

After a slow drive on the 401 at 3:30 in the afternoon, we made it to Rattlesnake Point park where we got to try some rock climbing.  It wasn’t a hard climb, but I can say I did it!!

After taking our gear off, we headed back to the Distillery District for coctails and dinner. The photographer and videographer had quick presentions of some of the stuff they captured that day. When I get access to the photos and professional video, I’ll be sure to share them!

I can’t thank Ford Canada enough for inviting me on this amazing adventure.  I really enjoyed driving the 2013 Escape.  Not only did I learn a about the features of the new 2013 Escape, I learned a lot about myself too!

Check out Ford’s website for more information about the Ford Escape!
If you have any questions, you can tweet @FordCanada
or ask on their Ford Canada Facebook page!